ISCC Gernot Klepper Research Award

The ISCC Gernot Klepper Research Award commemorates the exceptional contributions of Professor Gernot Klepper to ISCC and to the global field of sustainability research. 

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Gernot Klepper Research Award

About Gernot Klepper

As a founding member of ISCC and former chair of the Association Board from 2013 to 2024, Professor Klepper shaped ISCC into the leading sustainability certification system it is today notably due to his strategic foresight and hands-on leadership.

Winner of the ISCC Gernot Klepper Research Award 2025

PhD student Alliana Snead, Northwestern University

Systems Analysis Research Group of Professor Jennifer Dunn

Project Title: “Inclusion of Minerals in Sustainability Certification through Stable Supply Chains”

Companies rely on certification programs to communicate their sustainability efforts to consumers as well as to identify products that align with their environmental values. As of the present, these programs generally fail to include mineral content in their portfolio, even when certifying at the product level, which are often the heaviest components of products. Companies also depend on a consistent supply of materials to support manufacturing and decarbonization efforts, but there is currently no way to estimate the stability of supply chains that considers potential geopolitical disruption. We propose to develop a new indicator to analyze the stability of mineral supply chains along each stage of the supply chain and mineral refinement called the Supply Chain Risk Score. We will then use this calculated score to explore the potential of mineral certification to be included alongside existing certification programs to further encourage decarbonization of consumer products.

Supporting research

About the award

The award seeks to advance innovative, science-based approaches to climate change mitigation, sustainable supply chains, and circular economy solutions. Each year, the award will recognise outstanding research – in the form of a PhD or ongoing or independent research – conducted by a research institution, NGO, or think tank in support of an academic publication, a peer-reviewed journal article, or an impactful white paper. Eligible recipients may be full-time faculty members, students, or permanent researchers.

 

The annual award amount is up to 50,000 € and may be granted to a single applicant or divided between two applicants per award cycle.

Apply here
Programme Rules

Supported research areas

  • Economics of climate change and instruments for implementation.
  • Geospatial analyses for sustainable material sourcing and tracking.
  • Value creation of sustainability claims and on-product logos for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies.
  • Development of life-cycle tools in emerging fuel and material pathways.
  • Optimisation of chain of custody models in supply chains.
  • Conservation and biodiversity-related studies. 

Scientific review board

Prof Dr David Chiaramonti

Full prof of Energy Economics, and Bioeconomy for MED and Third Countries at the Department of Energy

Politecnico di Torino

Dr Steffen Mueller

Associate Director & Principal Economist at the Energy Resources Centre

University of Illinois at Chicago

Prof Dr Daniela Thraen

Chair of Bioenergy Systems at the Department of Bioenergy affiliated with the Helmholtz-Center for Environmental Research

University of Leipzig

Application and selection

The award will be granted through an annual request for proposal (RFP) process:

1

Call for application

The call for proposals gets distributed through the ISCC Chair Letter and other ISCC communication channels, with support from ISCC members.

2

Proposal requirements

Proposals must include a narrative (of at least 1,000 words and no more than 2,000 words) outlining the research. Submissions must demonstrate alignment with ISCC principles: sustainability, full traceability, deforestation-free sourcing, and climate-friendly supply chains.

3

Review

The Scientific Review Board will pre-screen applications to ensure they meet the award’s scope and intent before submitting its recommendations to the ISCC Board.

4

Selection

Final approval and selection will be made by the ISCC Board.

Submissions should include

01

Applicant details (name, affiliation, contact information)

02

Research title and abstract (max. 300 words)

03

Proposal narrative (1,000–2,000 words)

04

Relevant keywords and research area category

05

Optional: supplementary materials or datasets

Proposals will be evaluated by both the scientific review board and the ISCC Board based on their scientific merit, innovation and originality, feasibility and methodology, expected impact and relevance to the award’s goals, as well as the qualifications of the research team. Successful applicants will be notified by mail. Awardees will also be invited to present brief introductions and research updates at the annual general assembly.